Passenger Kicked Off Plane For Sobriety Joke

An America West passenger was removed from a plane at San Francisco International Aiport after making a comment about the pilots' sobriety in jest.

A woman aboard America West flight 83 was escorted off the plane scheduled to depart San Francisco for Tuscon, Ariz. at 9 a.m. Monday after she said to a flight attendant, "Have you checked your crew for sobriety."

The comment, an apparent joke in reference to an incident in Miami last week in which two America West pilots were arrested for attempting to fly under the influence of alcohol, was not funny to the crew.

"No one can make a comment that could compromise the safety of the flight or the flight crew, even if they say it as a joke, especially at these times when airports and airlines face extreme sensitivity to any remarks that could comprise security," San Francisco International Airport spokesman Ron Wilson said today.

"It is absolutely frowned upon."

The woman, whose identity was not released, was questioned on the plane about the comment and then removed from the flight for further interviews. The incident delayed the flight for 12 minutes, Wilson said.

"She kept saying, 'I was just kidding, can't you guys take a joke,' but it was something the airline took very, very seriously," Wilson said.

America West eventually put the woman on another flight to her destination at no cost to her, he said.

"We get comments every day in a joking manner such as 'Did you get the gun in my suitcase,"' Wilson said. "You just can't do that, you won't get away with it anymore.

"People really need to use common sense and not make remarks that don't have any basis of fact for the sake of security and safety at our airports."